A total of ten (10) new movies, most of them via A24, are on the schedule. Here is a bit deeper dive into each than we gave you in the ‘What’s On” postings. We lead off with an animated tale.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM
Most everyone loves the world that R.R. Tolkein created and Peter Jacksom embellished on, right? So much so that anything new is quickly consumed. We even had an opportunity to snag a review of the latest, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM. We will let that serve as the bulk of our attention to the 134-minute work, but we will add a few tidbits for you here.
It was released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures in December of 2024. It made its HBO debut as the Saturday night movie on March 01, 2025, at 8:00 pm and on Max the day prior. It is directed by famed Japanese director Kenji Kamiyama and takes place 200 years before Jackson’s film trilogies. Sola Entertainment provided the traditional 2D animation, taking visual inspiration from Jackson’s films. In a nutshell (the review gives a recap), warring factions vie for control based off of sheer revenge, and in the aftermath the great citadel Helm’s Deep becomes known.
Not many were wowed by this entry. One main criticism was uneven animation. But the story would never be told otherwise. But did it need to be? You decide.
HERETIC
How about some creepiness out of Hugh Grant? Yeah, I thought so. That fact is what seems to nail this 
movie. Anyone else in the role just might have made it all a bit lackluster. So in this psychological horror, wo young missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, confident Sister Barnes and timid Sister Paxton, arrive at the home of a reclusive middle-aged man, Mr. Reed. He invites them in, assuring them that his wife is preparing a blueberry pie in the back of the house. They begin to discuss religion, with Reed making several uncomfortable comments about their faith and the nature of belief. When Reed steps out of the room, Barnes realizes that the smell of blueberry pie is from a candle, the front door is locked, and they have no phone signal. Ha, it’s not looking too favorable for these gals, is it?
Sister Barnes is played by Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets), and Sister Paxton is played by Chloe East (HBO’s TRUE BLOOD and GENERA+IONS). Hugh Grant (HBO’s THE UNDOING and THE REGIME) then plays our recluse. Topher Grace (The Hot Zone) briefly pops in there somewhere as Elder Kennedy. The 111-minute movie is written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place). The big question hanging is, what is the spin that makes this a psychological horror, and does it work?
Grant is the titled heretic of the film and leads these poor gals on a heavy debate about religion. If they have true faith, wouldn’t they be reborn if they were killed? I guess he wanted to test the theory. But again, does it all work? The Age stated, “This is a well-acted movie all round, but primarily a vehicle for Grant- who has played his share of comic villains, but has rarely been asked to be seriously scary.” Aisle Seat said, “Heretic is scary because of what happens, but even more scary because of what it makes you think about.” Care to wrap your head around it? It debuted on HBO on Saturday, March 07, and can now be found on Max.
THE PARENTING
Sometimes an interesting cast can help make a film work. Is that the case with Craig Johnson’s THE PARENTING? Just read who is in this horror/comedy – Nik Dodani (Twisters, HBO’s THE COMEBACK), Brandon Flynn (TRUE DETECTIVE S3), Parker Posey (THE WHITE LOTUS S3 and HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN), Vivian Bang (White Rabbit, THE CORNER), Lisa Kudrow (Friends, THE COMEBACK), Dean Norris (United States of Al, TRUE BLOOD), Brian Cox (SUCCESSION), and Edie Falco THE SOPRANOS).
So, what’s up with this ensemble? Well, the 100-minute movie follows young couple Rohan (Dodani) and Josh (Flynn) as they plan a perfect weekend getaway in the country to introduce their parents. As tensions begin to flare between the more traditional Sharon (Falco) and Frank (Cox) and the laid-back Liddy (Kudrow) and Cliff (Norris), the families soon realize that their rental – managed by eccentric local Brenda (Posey) – is haunted by the presence of a 400-year-old poltergeist. When one parent becomes thoroughly possessed, it’s up to the young couple and their meddlesome BFF Sara (Bang) to unite the families and stop the evil entity once and for all.
It seems all good, but is it a fun blend of laughs and scares? Craig Johnson isn’t a prolific director, but he has some successes out there. Perhaps you’ve heard of 2014’s Skeleton Twins with Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig? As for the critical response to the movie, which went straight to Max on Thursday, March 13, it is the usual mixed bag. Some critics thought it worked, and others did not. The UK’s Guardian says, “As a comedy, it stops being funny and as a horror, it never starts being scary with Johnson’s direction far too drab and lifeless for something so cartoonish and schlocky. Big swing, bigger miss.” But RogerEbert.com admitted, “Director Craig Johnson and screenwriter Kent Sublette (Saturday Night Live) find a nice balance for the boo-surprises, creepiness, and humor, with a resolution that brings everything and everyone together.” Well, I guess it is totally up to you on whether this ensemble keeps the story going to your satisfaction. We leave it with RT’s assessment.
BEAU IS AFRAID
If you thought the ensemble in that last picture wasn’t bad, get a load of this jam-packed pic. BEAU IS AFRAID stars Joaquin Phoenix as the title character, and also includes a supporting cast consisting of Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Kylie Rogers, Parker Posey (yep, here is is again), Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hayley Squires, Michael Gandolfini, Zoe Lister-Jones, Armen Nahapetian, and Richard Kind.
This is an A24 title that debuted on Max on Friday, March 14. The film, almost three hours long, is written, directed, and co-produced by Ari Aster. He is the unique director of the horror movies Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019), and the 2025 release Eddington. BEAU IS AFRAID is labeled as a surrealist tragicomedy, so be warned that it might not be for everyone. Having perused the plot of this movie, I can see why it is labeled as such because Aster has packed it full of oddities & absurdities. The trailer will give you a sense of that; take a look.
As to its plot? Beau Wassermann, the son of Mona, a wealthy businesswoman, grows up without a father, who his mother claims died the night Beau was conceived due to a hereditary heart murmur during orgasm. Beau struggles with a recurring dream in which he watches as an identical version of himself demands to know what really happened; in response, his mother locks him in the attic. Of course, that baggage is carried throughout his life. And, I don’t know about you, but I’m wondering if that triggered his sense of fear or whether the notion that he inherited his father’s defect is what makes him afraid? If you are ready for the surreal experience this movie offers, I hope you can figure it all out. In true A24 fashion, this movie seems quite a trip.
The Associated Press doesn’t care for the movie. It stated, “Beau Is Afraid takes a long road to not get very far. That could, of course, be the point. But the simpering sad sack Beau — despite Phoenix’s typically committed and sympathetic performance — remains curiously void, stuck in a one-note nightmare.” The Wall Street Journal was in the middle with this comment, “I can’t say I enjoyed it much, but I was fascinated throughout, and that is saying something. A gonzo fantasia can be fun.” On the other hand, The Atlantic offers, “Beau Is Afraid is abrasive and dense, but that’s to be saluted. Aster is cashing in on the success of his first two films to create something daringly vulnerable for a wide audience.” It does seem daring, and I dare you to watch it!
SING SING
SING SING is next as it debuted on HBO on Saturday, March 22. Divine G (Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men, including wary newcomer (Clarence Maclin), in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors. The 147-minute movie is directed by Greg Kwedar.
This A24 film surely packs a strong message with it. Kwedar, among others, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film. Other nominations include three nominations at the 78th British Academy Film Awards (including Best Actor for Domingo and Best Supporting Actor for Maclin) and at the 97th Academy Awards (including Best Actor for Domingo). It has got to be good.
Some particular shout-outs and notes I want to give about this work before we talk plot. The supporting cast also consists of real-life formerly incarcerated men portraying themselves in the film, including: David “Dap” Giraudy, Patrick “Preme” Griffin, Mosi Eagle, James “Big E” Williams, Sean “Dino” Johnson, Dario Peña, Miguel Valentin, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, Pedro Cotto,Camillo “Carmine” Lovacco andCornell “Nate” Alston. The real-life John “Divine G” Whitfield also cameos as an inmate who asks the fictionalized Divine G to sign his book.
It was filmed over 19 shooting days in July 2022, across numerous decommissioned correctional facilities, which are reportedly tough environments to be in, logistically and for formerly incarcerated actors to return to, even with a counselor in tow. Plus, I wanted ro mention that it features 17 original songs in its soundtrack composed by Bryce Dessner. Adrian Quesada and Abraham Alexander wrote and performed the song “Like A Bird,” which appears during the film’s credits. That song was nominated at the 97th Academy Awards for Best Original Song.
Plot: Divine G, incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, discovers a sense of purpose through participation in a small theater group made up of fellow inmates. These inmates are part of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program, which aims to use theater as a form of rehabilitation. Under the guidance of theater director Brent Buell, Divine G emerges as the star playwright and performer, highly respected for his emotional depth and acting talent. While pursuing his passion for theater, Divine G is also determined to prove his innocence and regain his freedom. We already know that he does regain his freedom, but the process of how he does so makes this movie sing.
QUEER
This one just might capture your attention because it is the latest from Daniel Craig. You know, the last James Bond is now playing a bar-hopping gay. Yeah, QUEER most certainly shows his range. But, if that isn’t enough to capture you, then perhaps the fact that Luca Guadagnino (HBO’s WE ARE WHO WE ARE) is the director of this romantic drama. And, if that isn’t enough to capture your attention, then maybe the fact that this movie is based on a 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs might get you. If none of those ‘wow’ you, then you probably won’t spend the 137 minutes to watch it. But if you don’t, then by all indications, you are missing out on a generous performance from Craig.
The movie starts like this – In 1950, William Lee is an American expatriate living in Mexico City, passing time by bar hopping and indulging in sexual activities with younger men. One evening, he catches sight of Eugene Allerton, a young GI who is also an American expatriate. Lee grows obsessed with Allerton, pursuing him across various bars, hoping to gain his affection. Once his attention is gained, the two head to South America in search of the best psychoactive substance out there, and thus, Lee and Allerton both experience vivid hallucinations and epiphanies.
Does it bond them closer or expose too much of them to the other? Where is this relationship headed? One doesn’t know unless one watches the movie.
So, one has to ask, is this movie titled QUEER because of homosexulaity or because its just looks like an ‘odd’ relationship told ‘oddly.’ It all a mixed bag. Globe and Mail states, “It is a remarkably beautiful portrait of agony, anchored by Craig’s remarkably understated performance. But it’s also a film at odds with itself. With Queer, Guadagnino has made a movie unsure of its own identity, visually and stylistically.” ABC News said, “Luca Guadagnino’s flawed but fascinating gay love story is lifted to the heights by Daniel Craig who captures his character’s sexual heat and yearning heart in a performance he seems to tear from his insides.” Do you dare to find out for yourself?
Y2K
In Y2K, two high school nobodies (Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison) decide to crash the last major celebration before the new millennium on New Year’s Eve 1999. When the clock strikes midnight, the night becomes even crazier than they could have ever dreamed. How zany does it get?
Well, I don’t really know how zany it gets, but this is listed as a sci-fi comedy, so it must get a little out there, right? But isn’t December 31, 1999, like so irrelevant by now? Was the date just used as a random start-off point or does it hold some significance? Well, the 93-minute film’s description and its trailer reveal a truth – that many expressed panic that 2000 would somehow corrupt our electronics.
Okay, let’s break that down a bit. In 1999, best friends Eli (Martell of IT and BARRY), Danny (Dennison of Deadpool 2), and Garrett (Kyle Mooney of SNL) discuss plans for New Year’s Eve while their parents are out. Eli has a crush on his classmate Laura (Rachel Zegler of Snow White), but is too nervous to talk to her despite Danny’s encouragement to kiss her at midnight. They watch as Laura and her friends, Trevor, Madison, and Raleigh, sneak out some alcohol and decide to crash the party. At midnight, the power suddenly goes out and the terrified partygoers realize that all technology has become sentient and is being gruesomely killing them off one by one.
Okay, let’s break that down a bit. In 1999, best friends Eli (Martell of IT and BARRY), Danny (Dennison of Deadpool 2), and Garrett (Kyle Mooney of SNL) discuss plans for New Year’s Eve while their parents are out. Eli has a crush on his classmate Laura (Rachel Zegler of Snow White), but is too nervous to talk to her despite Danny’s encouragement to kiss her at midnight. They watch as Laura and her friends, Trevor, Madison, and Raleigh, sneak out some alcohol and decide to crash the party. At midnight, the power suddenly goes out, and the terrified partygoers realize that all technology has become sentient and is being gruesomely killed off one by one. At least, Eli and Laura survive the attacks made by microwaves, VCRs, Tamagotchis, and such, but the rest of the movie lies in just how that all comes about. They do so, it seems, with fun cameos along the way from Fred Durst, Alicia Silverstone, and Tim Heidecker.
The movie, which debuted on HBO on Saturday, April 05, is written and directed by Kyle Mooney, and backing him up as producer of the piece is the prolific Jonah Hill. It had its world premiere at South by Southwest. But how did it play? Slant Magazine calls out “The big sequence where the year 2000 hits and everything from a toaster to a Tamagotchi goes homicidal is a chaotic blast, but once the film shifts into a broader comic gear, it never quite finds its heart again.” Bloody Disgusting thought, “Armed with a pitch-perfect, game-for-anything ensemble and great practical effects behind the carnage and calamity, Y2K is a party worth rewinding the clock for.” So if you are game for it, do it!
2073
The next title debuted exclusively on Max on MONDAY, APRIL 07. It takes us to the year 2073. It is a 2024 British science fiction docudrama directed by Asif Kapadia (Amy, Diego Maradona). Set in a dystopian future, the film is inspired by Chris Marker’s 1962 featurette La Jetée, which follows a time traveller who risks his life to change the course of history and save the future of humanity. Samantha Morton and Naomi Ackie appear. This is another work uniquely crafted by Kapadia. Is it a speculative piece using real footage or a documentary padded with a strong narrative? Whatever you think it is, it is definitely a warning! Look!
I won’t lie, this is one is a hard one to explain. It has a thin, scripted story woven amongst images and real footage of societal and political anarchy that is taking place around us in 2024. It is all very real, very difficult, and very scary. As for the scripted part of it, one seems to be getting perspective on it all from 50 years later. I sat there a bit shocked at all the violence packed into the trailer; imagine 125 minutes of it. It reminds me of the HBO Documentry series EXTERMINATE ALL THE BRUTES; just being beaten down by all the cruelty and ugliness of the world.
Here is the best description I’ve seen, coming from Rotten Tomatoes: It’s the year 2073, and the worst fears of modern life have been realized. Surveillance drones fill the burnt orange skies and militarized police roam the wrecked streets, while survivors hide away underground, struggling to remember a free and hopeful existence. In this ingenious mixture of visionary science fiction and speculative nonfiction, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia (Amy) transports us to a future foreshadowed by the terrifying realities of our present moment. Two-time Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton (In America, Sweet and Lowdown, Minority Report) plays a survivor besieged by nightmare visions of the past–a past that happens to be our present, visualized through contemporary footage interconnecting today’s global crises of authoritarianism, unchecked big tech, inequality, and global climate change. 2073 is an urgent, unshakable vision of a dystopic future that could very well be our own.
Not a lot of eyes have settled on this work, even though it is only 85 minutes long, and critics say you either take it in or you don’t. Observer (UK) mentioned that, “It’s a tricky balance, and one that the film doesn’t always quite pull off, between sounding a warning and screaming with existential terror; between galvanising the audience into action and plunging them into despair.” Like I say, just by the trailer alone I was leaning towards the feelings. RobertEbert.com stated “is a slick video essay within the trappings of a sci-fi movie, but there’s not enough narratively to grab audiences beyond the scaremongering.”
So, if you want to be entertained you got to pick something else, if you want to be shocked and have theories and methodologies crammed into your brain then 2073 seems to be the warning you need.
COMPANION
The announcement that this movie was on the schedule just dropped a bit ago, so it was not mentioned in the “What’s On” post for this month. A very simple posting alerted us to its arrival, and it reads – New Line Cinema’s COMPANION will make its global streaming debut on FRIDAY, APRIL 18, exclusively on Max. COMPANION will debut on HBO linear on SATURDAY, APRIL 19 at 8:00 p.m. ET. New Line Cinema—the studio that brought you “The Notebook”—and the unhinged creators of “Barbarian” cordially invite you to experience a new kind of love story…
The only other information added was the list of talents involved. We will get to that in a moment, but first we need to figure out a bit more about this movie, yeah? Under easy investigation, we learn that the title’s companion is a robot. It seems a couple is on a weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin, which unravels into chaos after a revelation that one of the guests is indeed a companion robot (the movie’s term, not mine). Okay, I bet you know what’s up. The robot malfunctions and starts killing people off because its aggression algorithm goes offline or something like that. Let’s see what the trailer shows us.
But even if this sounds like the same-old-same-old, does it work this time out? Well, that trailer looks gory & fun. It shows Sophie Thatcher (yes, the same one we just talked about in Heretic) playing our Companion known as Iris. Josh (Jack Quaid of Oppenheimer) is the guy who rents her and controls her via a phone app. 
The robot helps itself to the phone and strengthens its abilities and gets tangled in some necessary plot to kill Josh and his friends. I’m not going to spoil all the detail,s but the plot does go deeper than what I’m giving you. The critics seem to indicate it all gels together to make a good picture.
You can thank screenwriter and director Drew Hancock (My Dead Ex, Suburgatory). Alongside Thatcher and Quaid are Lukas Gage ( Dead Boy Detectives), Megan Suri (Never Have I Ever), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), and Rupert Friend (Asteroid City). The executive producers are Tracy Rosenblum and Jamie Buckner. COMPANION is a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Now for what the critics say. Guardian states, “Like a lot of first-time writer-directors, Hancock is a far better director than writer, and so the film is more sleekly made than it is thoughtfully written… For a film about advanced technology, it’s all awfully simple. The Observer (UK) adds, “It isn’t breaking new ground, but the feature debut from TV director Drew Hancock is pulpy, bloody fun.” ABCNews praised though, by saying, “Director Drew Hancock kicks off the young movie year with an out-of-nowhere surprise, a fiendishly funny romcom scarefest that hits the fun bullseye and makes a star out of Sophie Thatcher as a hot date (for Jack Quaid) who doesn’t know her own power.” All in all, it looks like a movie worth seeing.
BABYGIRL
We pack a lot here, but have one more movie to go. As of this writing, A24’s BABYGIRL has not debuted yet . The will make its streaming debut on Max on FRIDAY, APRIL 25. The film will debut on HBO linear on SATURDAY, APRIL 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET. BABYGIRL stars Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, and Antonio Banderas.
This erotic thriller film is written, directed, and produced by Halina Reijn. The film stars Nicole Kidman as a high-powered CEO who puts her career and family on the line when she begins an affair with a much younger intern (Harris Dickinson). Romy Mathis, the CEO of a robotic process automation company in New York City, is dissatisfied with her life. While on the way to work one day, she is almost mauled by a dog until a young man stops and calms it down. That young man, Samuel, turns out to be an intern at Romy’s company he propositions her during a private meeting. He continues to push boundaries and before you know it, a steamy, erotic affair is in full-swing. But we’ve got to ask, is it a good or bad relationship? It seems that Samuel tries to encroach on her family life, but she draws the line on what is acceptable, but still, he pushes boundaries. How difficult does it get?
It seems like quite a steamy picture, but there are more themes at play here. It is a story of passion, power, and sexual dynamics. Romy seems alright with the affair, none of it shown too graphically as we are talking Kidman here, but it is only alright with it on her terms. There has got to be a subplot there of some kind, but the affair is just to prominent and Kidman’s portrayal of Romy took great praise. The movie, the director, and Kidman received a number of nominations, wins, and accolades from festivals, award shows, and media 
outlets. The Los Angeles Times stated, “Reijn manages to give life to a film that, beyond its ethical and moral repercussions, is truly unpredictable, even with regard to the character of Romy’s husband, Jacob, who is very well played by the Spaniard Antonio Banderas.” Empire Magazine put it this way, [Its] “an exploration of carnal desire that is at once fiercely erotic, nuanced and raucously funny, with Kidman charging into the breach, flaws bared, taking everything that Reijn hurls her way.” But to be fair, not everyone was happy. FilmWeek said, “There’s a lot that is supposed to be going on in this movie… But somehow, it didn’t hold for me as either an erotic film or a film that dealt with power dynamics in a substantive way.” NPR called out this notion, “Babygirl’s problem is not Romy’s desire to be dominated. It’s making her erotic liberation so triumphant that the story’s sexual politics don’t matter.” The themes may be muddled for some, and others might get excited for them. You decide what’s right for you when BABYGIRL arrives on HBO/Max.
There you go, surely something will interest you. Plus, don’t forget, there are certainly more older movies to seek out on HBO/Max as well. Enjoy what you watch!
